The Effects of Becoming a Physician on Prescription Drug Use and Mental Health Treatment

D. Mark Anderson, Ron Diris, Raymond Montizaan and Daniel Rees

No 29536, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: There is evidence that physicians disproportionately suffer from substance use disorder and mental health problems. It is not clear, however, whether these phenomena are causal. We use data on Dutch medical school applicants to examine the effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and the receipt of treatment from a mental health facility. Leveraging variation from lottery outcomes that determine admission into medical schools, we find that becoming a physician increases the use of antidepressants, opioids, anxiolytics, and sedatives, especially for female physicians. Among female applicants towards the bottom of the GPA distribution, becoming a physician increases the likelihood of receiving treatment from a mental health facility.

JEL-codes: I1 I12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
Note: EH
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published as D. Mark Anderson & Ron Diris & Raymond Montizaan & Daniel I. Rees, 2023. "The Effects of Becoming a Physician on Prescription Drug Use and Mental Health Treatment," Journal of Health Economics, .

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Journal Article: The effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and mental health treatment (2023)
Working Paper: The Effects of Becoming a Physician on Prescription Drug Use and Mental Health Treatment (2021)
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